In the aftermath of the Devil Invasion, the spiritual qi that had once filled the world began to decline at an alarming rate.
Vast regions gradually became barren wastelands where cultivation was nearly impossible.
Only the areas surrounding the Heavenly Conqueror Dragon Earth Vein — now commonly called the Heavenly Earth Vein — remained untouched by this decay.
There, spiritual qi still flowed abundantly.
As the only reliable source of cultivation energy left in the world, the vein became the center of a massive migration.
New cities rapidly sprang up along its length, built by cultivators seeking survival and opportunity.
Even demon cultivators established their own territories nearby, expanding their influence around the precious lifeline.
Feeling the spiritual qi around him, Liang let out a quiet sigh.
"It declined faster than I expected," he murmured.
Then he shrugged and laughed softly.
"Well, it no longer concerns me."
He continued walking through the wilderness when his eyes suddenly narrowed.
Roughly two miles away, he sensed two cultivators locked in combat.
Both possessed auras at the Core Formation Realm.
As a descendant of the Infernal Void Serpent — a race blessed by the power of the Void — Liang possessed extraordinary innate abilities despite his current cultivation appearing no different from that of an ordinary mortal.
One such ability was his natural spatial perception.
He could instinctively sense all living and energetic disturbances within several miles of his surroundings.
A faint grin appeared on his lips.
The space around him twisted and warped.
In the next instant, he vanished.
Moments later, he reappeared beside the battling cultivators.
His sudden arrival forced them both to stop immediately.
They retreated several steps, staring at him with guarded expressions.
The first was a middle-aged man wearing black robes, a deep scar running across his forehead. He held a long sword, and his aura revealed mid-stage Core Formation cultivation. His eyes were filled with cold killing intent.
The second was a young woman dressed in white robes embroidered with gold. She held a jade flute and appeared to be at the early stage of Core Formation, though her spiritual energy was refined and stable.
Both sensed something deeply unsettling.
The man before them showed no trace of cultivation.
He appeared completely mortal.
Yet he had materialized out of nowhere.
No ordinary mortal could possess such an ability.
"Who are you?" the black-robed man demanded.
"I am merely a traveler," Liang replied with a gentle smile. "And you two seem to be having an interesting dispute. Care to explain?"
The woman hesitated briefly before speaking.
"He killed my master and stole his treasures," she said, her voice trembling. "I only want to reclaim them."
The man in black snorted.
"She lies. Her master stole my treasures first. I simply reclaimed what was mine."
Liang listened quietly to both sides.
Then a faint, sinister smile appeared on his face.
"Well," he said softly, "it seems both of you have lived dishonest lives. How about we make a simple arrangement?"
They looked at him skeptically.
The black-robed man frowned.
"Why should we trust you?"
Liang did not answer.
Instead, his smile deepened.
"I require a servant," he said calmly. "Whichever of you volunteers first will live. The other… will not be given that choice."
The woman's eyes widened in shock.
She instinctively looked toward the black-robed man.
The man sneered, though fear flickered in his gaze.
Neither of them dared underestimate the stranger before them.
Growing impatient, Liang shrugged.
"I do not have time to wait."
He snapped his fingers.
Instantly, space around them warped violently.
The black-robed man's face turned pale with terror.
"I—I will serve you!" he shouted urgently.
The woman was stunned.
Before she could react, the distorted space around her began collapsing inward.
She tried to speak, but no sound emerged.
Her body twisted and fragmented like shattered reflections.
Within moments, she vanished completely.
Only a faint trace of dissipating spiritual energy remained.
The black-robed man stared in horror.
"What… what did you do to her?"
Liang chuckled lightly.
"She should be dead by now."
Fear flooded the man's eyes.
"You… you must be a Spirit Severing expert…"
Liang rolled his eyes.
"No," he said casually. "I told you — I am merely a traveler."
The man dared not question him further.
"Now," Liang continued with a faint grin, "let us discuss our agreement."
"From this moment onward, you will serve me absolutely. In return, I will spare your life and grant you knowledge and power beyond your imagination."
"Do we understand each other?"
The man hesitated briefly before bowing his head.
"Yes. We have a deal."
Liang smiled in satisfaction.
"Good. Then we should depart. I have been absent from this world for over two hundred years."
"Tell me everything that has changed."
The man nodded and began walking beside him, recounting the events that had unfolded during those centuries.
Liang listened attentively, his expression calm and unreadable.
After a while, he spoke again.
"By the way — what is your name? And who was that woman truly?"
The man hesitated before answering.
"My name is Gao Feng. The woman was Zhang Ying. Her master stole my treasures long ago. I hunted them down and reclaimed them. She pursued me afterward, falsely accusing me of murder to seize the treasures for herself."
Liang chuckled softly.
"Interesting."
He gestured ahead.
"Lead me to the nearest city."
Gao Feng nodded and guided him forward, though uncertainty still lingered in his heart.
He could not shake the feeling that meeting this mysterious traveler would change his life forever.
As Liang followed, his thoughts drifted.
"This world has changed greatly," he mused silently.
"But that only makes it more entertaining."
And with that, he continued walking into the future.